PSLA

AUFA supports local garden club

On behalf of the community garden group, thank you very much, AUFA, for your donation. Very much appreciated!

Members of the Community Garden at Athabasca University, numbering over 20 gardeners, received from AUFA a donation of $200.00 for which we sincerely thank them. The community garden, built by AU Facilities staff, with seasonal contribution of their equipment and time, benefits the AU community and anyone in the Athabasca area who'd like to grow organic produce. The donation will be used to repair and replace shared tools and equipment. This year, surplus produce from the garden was donated to the Athabasca Food Bank and the Anglican Church Soup Kitchen.Thank you again!Best regards,Margaret

Keep Athabasca University In Athabasca

For nearly five decades, Athabasca University has been an innovator in higher education. It is a world leader in distance learning, helping to break down barriers to a better life for tens of thousands of students who might otherwise not have access to advanced education.

But in the town of Athabasca, the university plays another vital role. As the town’s largest employer, AU is a cornerstone of the local economy.

Nearly 500 AU employees live and work here. They shop in local stores, purchase local services, pay local taxes and are an integral part of the community fabric. AU employees contribute an estimated $30 million a year to the local economy.

That’s why we’re calling on the Alberta government to commit to keeping AU viable and headquartered in Athabasca. We believe that if the province demonstrates this leadership, AU can become an even stronger institution and more powerful economic generator for the region.

Please sign the online petition supporting Athabasca University and the local economy. Tell your family and friends. The signatures gathered will be presented to Innovation and Advanced Education Minister Lori Sigurdson.

To the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, in Legislature Assembled: We the undersigned residents of Alberta, petition the Legislative Assembly to ensure that Athabasca University's Headquarters remains permanently in Athabasca, AB and to renew its commitment to creating stable jobs in the community that continue to diversify the local economy.Please visit http://athabascaworks.com to sign the petition.Also see the document below for coverage in the August 25th edition of the Athabasca Advocate.

NEWS

As students from across Canada gather at Athabasca University this week for its 2015 convocation, staff at the pioneering educational institution fear that it might soon close its doors.

“We wish all our graduates the best, and trust that their AU education has prepared them for a bright, fulfilling future,” said Dr. Lawton Shaw, President of the Athabasca University Faculty Association (AUFA). “But we’re very worried about AU Interim President Peter MacKinnon’s recent report to the board of governors, which seems to urge shutting down the school and moving its functions to other institutions.”

The university is a critical part of Alberta’s post-secondary education system and the province’s economic future, said Mike Dempsey, vice-president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), which represents AU’s support staff.

“For decades AU has helped people in remote areas, those with families to support and others in challenging situations to improve their lives through education,” he said. “It is also a major economic driver in the north central region. We must do everything we can to keep its doors open. Closing it should not be an option.”

On June 1, MacKinnon submitted a report on the university’s financial sustainability to AU’s board. The report claims that if things continue as they are, the 40,000-student university will be financially insolvent by 2016-17. The report was accepted unanimously by the board of governors.

Three employee groups —the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3911 (which represents AU’s tutors), AUFA and AUPE — are calling on Innovation and Advanced Education Minister Lori Sigurdson to disregard MacKinnon’s report and order an independent probe into AU’s finances.

MacKinnon blames numerous factors for the situation, including inadequate government funding, collective agreements with staff and the town of Athabasca itself, which he described as too small. “Its size,” he wrote, “is an obstacle to the recruitment and retention of professional personnel.”

“We strongly disagree with much of what the report claims,” said Dr. Dougal McDonald, Co-Chair of CUPE Local 3911. “President MacKinnon points the finger at government, employees and even the community for AU’s financial mess, but the government needs to examine the financial management and decisions made in recent years.”

AU is headquartered in Athabasca, 145 km north of Edmonton. It is a world leader in distance education, with staff and students across Canada coming together online. Of its 1,100 employees, one third live in the town of Athabasca, making it the area’s largest employer.

Dr. Bob Barnetson Receives Inaugural AUFA Academic Freedom Award

AUFA expresses concerns over Bill 10 to government

AUFA has sent a letter to the Government of Alberta to express its serious concerns over Bill 10, which has implications for not only AUFA's members but all members of the Universities Academic Pension Plan (UAPP). Click here to read the letter.

Warning about "trigger warnings" used to censor university curriculum

CAUT has alerted Canadian university faculty associations to an emerging concern about the use of "trigger warnings" in university curriculum, use with serious implications for quality of teaching and academic freedom. Read about what "trigger warnings" are and why they impact academic freedom and quality of teaching in this short briefing posted to the AU Landing.

AU faculty, coordinators, instructors, tutors, learning designers, editors, production group members, and deans who are aware of any request or demand to use “trigger warnings” in AU course development or teaching are urged to contact AUFA.

AUFA supports AUPE in opposing Bills 45 and 46AUFA has written a letter to the MLA for Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater to declare our solidarity with AUPE and our opposition to the anti-labour Bills 45 and 46 that the Redford government has just passed. Read letter here